Marlins encouraged as Jacob Berry starts to produce in Beloit. And more prospect notes
It was about this time a year ago that Jacob Berry made his way into loanDepot park, shortly after signing his deal as the latest Miami Marlins first-round draft pick. Miami selected Berry sixth overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, hoping his natural hitting ability would help him ascend through the minor-league system relatively quickly.
The switch-hitter out of LSU got his first taste of professional baseball by spending the final two months of the 2022 minor-league season with Single A Jupiter. He then spent the early portion of spring training as a non-roster invitee to big-league camp before making his way to play with the High A Beloit Sky Carp this season.
And after a sluggish start to his year in Beloit, Berry appears to be putting things together.
Since the start of June, Berry is hitting .273 (40 for 146) with 11 doubles, five triples, one home run, 19 RBI and 13 runs scored over 37 games played. This includes 11 multihit games.
For comparison, Berry hit just .171 in the first two months of the season with 41 strikeouts against 25 hits.
It’s a noted and needed sign of improvement for Berry, ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Miami’s system according to MLB Pipeline.
On the season, Berry has done a decent job hitting to all fields; he’s pulling the ball 47.2 percent of the time, hitting to straightaway center 22.1 percent of the time and going to the opposite field 30.7 percent of the time.
It’s also helping that balls he puts into play are starting to drop now. Berry’s batting average on balls in play — which removes strikeouts and home runs from the equation — is .315 since the start of June. It was .223 in April and May. He’s striking out less, too — 15.1 percent since the start of June compared to 27 percent in April and May.
“With Jacob, I think it’s just the confidence level,” Marlins director of minor league operations Hector Crespo said. “One of the things people don’t realize is that for first-round picks, there are a lot of eyes on you once you deploy. It’s been cool to see him taking the information in. His struggles are a little bit one-sided. What we don’t see in a box score is the tough strike calls or the balls he’s putting on his barrel that guys are catching. He’s been unlucky [at times] this season, but he continues the course. His work ethic has been outstanding, so I can see him continuing to trend upward as we go through the season. I think he’ll be right where he needs to be.”
Defensively, Berry is splitting time between both corner infield positions. After being exclusively a third baseman to begin his pro ball career, Berry has started at first base in 13 of his past 31 games for Beloit, Wisconsin.
Zach McCambley settling in as a reliever
When the Marlins picked right-handed Zach McCambley in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft, they envisioned him being used as a starter with middle-of-the-rotation ceiling.
The organization has since moved him into a bullpen role this year after mixed results as a starter his first two seasons.
He has impressed in a small sample size so far.
McCambley, who missed the first two months of the minor-league season with elbow soreness, has a combined 1.02 ERA over 12 appearances across three minor-league affiliates this season with 22 strikeouts against six walks and a .153 batting average against in 17 2/3 innings of work.
In seven appearances since rejoining Double A Pensacola, where he pitched all of last season as a starter, McCambley has a 1.59 ERA with 15 strikeouts against four walks over 11 1/3 innings.
McCambley’s best pitch is a low-80s curveball that induces swings and misses that he pairs with a mid-90s fastball and a changeup.
This and that
▪ At Triple A Jacksonville, catcher Austin Allen has a team-leading seven home runs and 21 RBI so far in July. On the season, he leads the Jumbo Shrimp with 19 home runs and his 48 RBI are second only to Jerar Encarnacion (49).
▪ At Double A Pensacola, first baseman Troy Johnston continues to impress at the plate. So far in July, he is hitting .370 (17 for 46) with five doubles, five home runs, 19 RBI and 12 runs scored in 12 games. He leads the Blue Wahoos with 18 home runs, 72 RBI and 63 runs scored this season.
▪ At Beloit, outfielder Tanner Allen has hits in 10 of his last 11 games, including six multi-hit games and a four-hit night on Saturday. He is batting .404 (19 for 47) with three doubles, three home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored in that span.
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